Graduation Day
by millie-mione
Summary: Fenny and Gris have now left Cackles Academy. See what happens next. Characters and places are J.K.Rowling's and Jill Murphy's.
1. Default Chapter

Graduation day came and went at Cackles. Fenny and Gris were so excited to finally leave the halls of 'Castle Doom' as they called it. They were free women of the world now. They went with Gris' mother to her rental car. Gris noticed her mom's face go from happy to sad .  
  
"What's going on, and why do you look so sad all of a sudden?" Griselda asked.  
  
" Aunt 'Belle' recently passed away. I wanted to wait to tell you ; because, I knew how much you loved her, plus telling you would only ruin your graduation," Mrs. Blackwood said.  
  
"When did she pass,mom?" Griselda asked.  
  
"A week ago. Listen, the reading of her will is tomorrow in London; I've invited Fenny along since she's too old now to stay at the orphanage.I know that she'll be good moral support for you," her mother told her sniffling at the same time.  
  
"This is so wrong!!! I mean I knew that she got sick, but I didn't know how sick," she said now breaking down into a crying fit.  
  
" Oh dear, is everything okay?" Miss Cackle asked after she and her staff came running out to see what the matter was.  
  
"Yes" Griselda answered swallowing heavily and composing herself to face them.  
  
"We're sorry, Miss Cackle, there's been a death in our family. It was Griselda's favorite aunt on her dad's side," Mrs. Blackwood said.  
  
"Oh dear, I'm very sorry to hear that," Miss Cackle said.  
  
" Don't worry, Miss Cackle, I'll be okay. Thank you for everything here, and I'll miss all of you. Goodbye," Griselda said.  
  
"Okay then, dear. Keep in touch, " Miss Cackle said smiling reassuringly.  
  
After a few moments, the trio hurried to catch the red-eye to London. It was a rocky flight, and the food was awful, more awful than the slop at Cackles'.  
  
Fenny and Mrs. Blackwood did everything they could to keep Griselda's spirits stable during the flight. When they reached their hotel , they saw a convention of men wearing fez caps toasting and singing some sort of jolly song. When Fenny got a closer look, she saw that they were celebrating their twentieth class reunion.  
  
"Boy, I hope that ours will be as nice," she said to Griselda thinking of how they had just graduated.  
  
"It will. I'm sure of it," she said trying to be strong.  
  
They went to bed at around eight and woke up at six. It was the very devil to get Mrs. Blackwood up. She worked long shifts and slept mostly during the day usually. They sped over to Fenton Michaels' law office to hear the terms of the will. Apparently, Aunt 'Belle' left Griselda her house on Number Four Privet Drive and seven point five million pounds from an insurance policy she bought. She also left her stocks and bonds and a store on some place called Diagon Alley. Griselda's sad expression became one of excitement. She yelped and gave Fenny a great big hug.  
  
"Do you know what this means, Fenny?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"We can open our own school like we planned. Isn't it the limit?"  
  
"Yes, but what about the store?"  
  
"We'll hire a trustworthy manager to run it, while we teach."  
  
Mr. Michaels graciously drove the lot over to Mrs. Figg's house. They all joked about how much it looked like every other house in the area. They waited for Mr. Michaels to open the door, and when he did, they recoiled from the stench of cat litter.  
  
"Oh, my. I forgot how much she loved cats," Griselda said.  
  
" Apparently," Fenny answered.  
  
"Well, this is it. I'm sorry, but I must gbe going. I have an important client coming by shortly. I wish you all good luck and good day ," Mr. Michaels said and then left.  
  
"Okay ladies, let's do a little cleaning," Mrs. Blackwood said.  
  
The three women cast spells all over the house until it was immaculate.  
  
"Not bad. Not bad, girls. What do you say we all go to see that store, eh?" Mrs. Blackwood asked excitedly.  
  
"Okay, but where is Diagon Alley, mom?" Gris asked.  
  
"I'm not sure, but Aunt 'Belle' left us a map with a few instructions showing us how to get there," she said.  
  
"Well, let's go and see ," Fenny said eagerly.  
  
They followed the map to a tavern. They went out back and saw a brick wall. A man stood before it and tapped certain bricks, and it opened to reveal a shopping column.  
  
"There are magic folk all over, mom . This is awesome, we won't have to hide who we are here," Griselda said.  
  
"I don't quite remember, but I think they all use wands in this part of the magical world," her mom said.  
  
" Your dad took me here to the ice cream parlor for our first date when I came over to study as an exchange student at Hogwarts. I really miss him, you know."  
  
"Me too, mom."  
  
Her mother's purse lit up and she pulled some sort of orb from it.  
  
"Uh-oh, girls. I have to be going. It's an emergency, and they don't have anybody else," she said.  
  
"Oh, mom. "  
  
"I know, I know, but healers are always on call. You know that. I tell you what, if they get this cleared, I'll get back to you,"  
  
"And if not?"Gris asked pressingly.  
  
" I'll check on you as soon as I can. I trust you, dear. You're a woman , and if I can't treat you like one 'now', then I don't know when I'll ever be able to . Bye , 'Zellie' and you too Fenella, see ya'," and with that, she apparated away from Diagon Alley .  
  
" Boy, I never thought that getting my independence would feel like this, being abandoned to fend for myself in a foreign alley," Griselda said.  
  
" Don't worry, we can just ask somebody around here where to go and find your aunt's shop," Fenny said.  
  
They tried to stop people, but they kept on passing them by. After fruitlessly trying to get directions, they decided to come back another day. A little after, this pack of amiable looking red-heads came by.  
  
" Excuse us , please, but could you tell my friend and me where to find Figg's Fancy preserves?," Griselda asked.  
  
"Why, yes, but you won't be abe to get in. You see, the owner, a very dear associate of ours passed away very recently, and--"the man started to say.  
  
"We know. I'm her niece, Griselda Blackwood, and this here's my best friend and future business partner, Fenella Feverfew , " Gris said.  
  
" Well, we are the Weasleys. I'm Arthur, and this is my wife, Molly. The rest of us here are Fred, George, Ginny, and Ron," he said. The family greeted them with low toned 'hi'(s).  
  
" Hi," they both said back.  
  
"Let's go there, then shall we?," he said.  
  
On the walk to the store the group exchanged information and chit-chat about places of orirgin, relations, and other light topics. When they reached the store, Gris opened it with the key Mr. Michaels gave her at his office. It was amazing to see all the different homemade items lying around on the shelves. There were alcoholic beverages and all sorts of compotes, just about everything that you could possibly want that was made of fruit.  
  
"Wow," Griselda said." This is the absolute best. I'm glad we came to London. We'll have to start prepping it up tomorrow, though. It's getting late, and we'd best get back to Privet Drive."  
  
"Oh, girls, could you do us a favor and look in on our friend Harry Potter for us. He has the absolute worst time at the house down the street from where you'll be staying. He lives with the Dursleys. They're terrible muggles, and they hate magic," Molly said with an expression of disgust .  
  
"Sure. Hey, why don't you guys drop over to our house sometime, and then you can check up on him yourselves whenever you need to," Griselda offered.  
  
"We will, but when we aren't able to, please watch him, thanks," she said.  
  
" Okay. It was nice meeting you guys, and thanks for the directions," Fenny said.  
  
" Yes, it was," Gris said.  
  
" It was a pleasure for us as well, and don't worry, we'll see ourselves out," Arthur said leaving with his family and closing the door behind them.  
  
" Well, let's get back, Fenny," Gris said. They folded their arms and then flashed back to the house.  
  
They heard yelling coming from across the street, and peered through the front window to see who it was.  
  
"I told you, boy. NO MORE EFFING OWLS!!!!!!!!!!" a beefy miscreant shouted at a boy with jet black hair, baggy clothes, and glasses.  
  
"IF THAT'S HOW YOU FEEL, THEN JUST THROW ME OUT!!!!!!!!" the boy yelled back.  
  
"YOU SAID THAT YOU WOULD LEAVE LAST TIME, BUT LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED. THOSE FREAKS YOU CALL FRIENDS SENT THREATS TO US TELLING US WHAT THEY'D DO TO US IF WE DIDN'T KEEP YOU AT OUR HOUSE. WELL THIS TIME, IF YOU GO , STAY GONE. JUST DIE FOR ALL I CARE!!!!!!" the beefy walrus who stood like a man said waving his right hand with a mad gesture.  
  
"FINE!!!!!!!!!!!!," the boy retorted.  
  
"You don't think that that's him, do you, Gris? You know, the one that the Weasleys told us about a while ago," Fenny inquired seeing Griselda look at her confused.  
  
" I'm willing to bet that it is," Griselda said.  
  
" Let's wait for him to cool off a little bit before we approach him," Fenny said.  
  
" Good idea, " Gris answered.  
  
Much to their surprise, he spied them in the house and came over with a look of suspicion on his face.  
  
"Alohomora!!!" he said. Harry didn't care if he got into trouble for using the spell. He couldn't let anybody prowl Mrs. Figg's house. This was especially so, since he heard about her going into the hospital two weeks ago.  
  
He burst in with his wand and pointed it at the two girls.  
  
"Alright, who are you two, and what do you think that you're doing in Mrs. Figg's house?!" he asked like an inspector.  
  
" I am Mrs. Figg's niece, Griselda, and she left this house to me when she passed away a week ago," Griselda returned in a tone of voice that was equally belligerent.  
  
" How do I know that you're telling me the truth?"  
  
"Listen, if you don't put that thing away, you're going to be very sorry,pal," Fenella threatened.  
  
" Oh, and just who might you be?"  
  
"Fenella Feverfew, Griselda's best friend who by the way doesn't take kindly to impolite little snits like yourself," she said.  
  
" Do yourself a favor and put that thing away before you get yourself into a some trouble," Griselda advised.  
  
Griselda sneakily approached him when he looked away for a second, and Harry waved his wand and said, " STUPEFY!"  
  
The light went toward Griselda who apparated away and blasted him from behind with her hands.  
  
He stood there only able to move his eyes .  
  
"Now listen, I 'am' Mrs. Figg's niece, and I assume that your name is Harry Potter. Fenny and I heard about you through some friends of yours called the Weasleys. We are not trying to hurt anybody, in fact, we are only trying to mind our business. Now I am about to take my spell off. Do you promise to keep quiet ?" Griselda sked.  
  
"Umm-umm," the stiff boy intoned with an 'uh-huh'.  
  
"Okay, now. I'll let you go, and we'll discuss this like civilized people," she said like she was talking to a five year old.  
  
When he was free, he apologized. Harry explained that he couldn't take his aunt's and uncle's rants about his being magical anymore. He explained about himself and the conditions upon which he must stay there with his only remaining family, but he said that he just had to break the unbearable condition.  
  
"That sounds awful," Fenny said.  
  
" Well, don't worry. You're with friends now. 'Friends' that is as long as you keep your wand tucked away in your pocket," Griselda joked.  
  
" I really am very sorry," Harry apologized again.  
  
"Don't mention it. We're about to start dinner. Have you eaten?"Griselda asked.  
  
"No, my aunt and uncle wanted to starve me; because, I got mail from owls, and owls aren't 'normal'," Harry explained.  
  
" Oh. Well how do burgers and fries sound, then?" she asked.  
  
"Fine by me," Harry said.  
  
" Good. We'll eat, and then we'll go flying later. I bet this place looks great at night when you look down," Fenny suggested.  
  
" I don't mean to pry, but just how old are you guys?" Harry asked." You seem rather young to be on your own like this."  
  
"We're both eighteen. We graduated from Cackles Academy two days ago, so now we're free witches," Griselda answered raising her thumbs up in excitement.  
  
" Yeah. Who knows what the future holds for us?" Fenella asked.  
  
" For me, possible death at the hands of the evil creep who killed my parents," Harry answered glumly.  
  
"Wow, your life really 'is' lousy. Perhaps we can teach you a few tricks so that you can protect yourself," Fenny said to him.  
  
"That would be great considering the fact that neither I nor Lord Voldemort can use our wands against each other," he said.  
  
" Why not?" Gris asked.  
  
" Our wands have feathers that came from the same animal, a phoenix," Harry said.  
  
" I know about that; it's called 'Pri----- something," Fenella said and shrugged her shoulders after indifferently.  
  
"Priori Incantatem," Harry finished. Fenny nodded to show that she understood.  
  
" Well, let me zap up dinner, and we can get you situated 'here' until things cool down at home,okay?" Gris assured. She waved her hands and a plate of burgers ,a huge plate of fries , a blueberry pie, and a carafe of orange soda with ice appeared.  
  
"Thank you both very much for your hospitality," Harry returned.  
  
" No problem. Make yourself at home," Griselda said.


	2. Aftershock

Morning came and Harry went to the bathroom to prepare himself for the coming day's  
  
activities. He looked around the house and realized that he wasn't at Number Four anymore. It  
  
felt strange, but somehow very relaxing.  
  
"Great, you're up," Gris said.  
  
" Good morening, Gris," Harry said through a half yawn.  
  
" Today, we're going to Diagon Alley to re-open Auntie 'Belle's shop. I can't wait. It'll  
  
be like I'm my own woman."  
  
" I wish I were my own man," Harry commented.  
  
" You are. You just have to get your bearings in the world, speaking of which. The next  
  
time my mom comes, we'll take you to Canada to learn a little wandless magic. Nobody there  
  
should bother you about it," Gris offered.  
  
"That'd be great, Gris" Harry said smiling. It felt good to have somebody else in control  
  
for a change. He thought back to the time last year when he tried to teach defense against the  
  
dark arts to his fellow school mates. Fat lot of good it did. Sirius was dead.  
  
" What's wrong, Harry?," Griselda asked him seeing the depressed look that now dark-ened his face.  
  
" I was just thinking back to my godfather Sirius Black. He died jut last year in a duel  
  
against Lord Voldemort's supporters. I miss him so much. I'd give anything to be near him again.  
  
He was the only adult that I could connect with, you know?"  
  
" Gotcha," Griselda said nodding.  
  
" I'll bet you think that I'm a bit more than you can handle right now, don't you?"  
  
" Are you kidding, Harry? You don't know Fenny and me very well. We were quite the proverbial handful," she said.  
  
Fred and George came to his mind when she mentioned handful. He started to laugh as  
  
images of last year's fireworks fiasco blazed past his conscious thoughts.  
  
" What's so funny?" Fenella asked coming down the stairs dressed and ready to go.  
  
" Griselda just told me how you two were a handful at your old school, and it made me  
  
think of two pranksterish friends of mine named Fred and George."  
  
" Do they both have red hair?" Fenny asked looking as if she'd just figured something out.  
  
" Yeah.... as a matter of fact they do. How do you know?"  
  
" Fenny and I met them just yestreday on our way to find Auntie 'Belle's' shop," Griselda said.  
  
" I'd like to see them again. I'd like to know if their tricks can match mine and Griselda's,  
  
since you say that they're pranksters too," Fenny said rubbing her chin.  
  
" This I'd like to see," Harry said. His spirits were lifted. Maybe Fate was dealing him  
  
another hand, a good one for a change.  
  
Bellatrix Lestrange lay in a corner sore from Lord Voldemort's latest 'Cruciatus' session.  
  
She hadn't been in this much pain since....  
  
"Bella, tell me, what troubles you so? Surely, it can't be our little disciplinary  
  
assessment," the Dark Lord asked feeling a twinge of dread and longing in his servant. He liked  
  
the sadness and regret that seemed to well up inside Bella, but he hated the sensation that  
  
followed immediately after. It was grief born out of something he most despised..... love.  
  
"It is nothing, my Lord,...nothing at all," she lied.  
  
She saw him raise his wand and she cringed in fear of him hitting her again with the 'Cruciatus' curse for lying to him.  
  
He hated it whenanyone lied to him. He could always tell......he always knew.  
  
"Shall I tell you, Bella? You miss somebody very dearly, somebody who was a very big  
  
part of your life. Somebody you had to abandon for our great cause. It's not your blood traitor  
  
cousin or that incompetent Rudolphus....nooooo.......it's....a child, a girl. You wonder where your  
  
dear little one has gone. Mmmmm.......quite curious, such longing and worry coming from you,  
  
Bella. I never thought of you as the maternal type. Never fear, succeed at my next mission for  
  
you, and I'll find her for you. Fail, and your darling little baby girl will be the farthest thing from  
  
your mind as I truly punish you," Lord Voldemort said in his most icy of voices.  
  
" You guys have really brought me out of the dumps. I was just sitting here missing my  
  
godfather, and you and Gris just made me feel so relaxed. I thought that you two were sure to  
  
dump me with all of my problems,"Harry said.  
  
" No....we would never think of doing that. And as for your godfather, at least you have  
  
somebody to miss. I never even knew my parents, much less even had a godparent to care for  
  
me. Sometimes I want to look for my parents, and sometimes I get the feeling that some things  
  
are better just being left alone. For all I know, they could've been maniacs or criminals," Fenny  
  
said laughing her head off.  
  
Back at Lord Voldemort's lair, Bellatrix thought of those damned Longbottoms and Lily  
  
Potter and their holy crusade against her and her husband for their alleged criminal activities. The  
  
ministry took little Leonie from her arms. She wanted to take her wand out and blow Alice  
  
Longbottom to bits as she watched Lily carry her baby away. For all she knew, they could've  
  
put her precious little pureblood jewel in a home with mudblood lovers or even worse, just plain  
  
mudbloods. She thought of the amusing torture she inflicted upon the happy Longbottoms as  
  
their liitle pudge of a boy watched crying. It was funny to watch them beg as she hurt them. Oh  
  
yes did she hurt them. She had to deliver on the Dark Lord's wishes. She had to know where her  
  
baby was, what she looked like, and how powerful she was.  
  
" That's some fancy handwork, Fenella," Harry complimented as he watched her point  
  
her finger at Uncle Vernon's pants and make them shrink until they tore open revealing his white  
  
boxers with red hearts. It was hilarious as the gang watched Vernon drop all his paper work from  
  
his briefcasein a failed attempt to cover himself in front of passersby. She even made an extra  
  
effort to close his work jacket in his cardoor and forbid it to open. She even made it rain on Aunt  
  
Petunia's new hairdo. Fenny was scary but a whole lot of fun.


	3. Downward Spiral

" Fenny.....oh, Fenny!!!" Griselda called.

" What?" Fenella sleepily answered.

" Guess what's arrived today?"

" What?"

" Our witches higher certificates!!!!"

" Great, let me get a look. Congratulations, you have been awarded blah, blah,blah. Here's to being legal now,"Fenny said smiling giving Gris a high-five.

" Morning, what's going on?" Harry asked.

" Tell him,Fenny."

" Morning, Harry. We just got our witching licenses. Here, have a look," Fenny said to him.

" That's great, but what can you do with them?"

"Well, they're good enough, but having them is not quite the same as earning actual advanced degrees in magical studies,but they do come in handy if you want to specialize in trades or fields of self employment like, say.....tea leaf reading and or divination or something like that, but if you want to be a healer or something more advanced, then you need to go to college," Gris explained.

Gris looked up to see Harry laughing and asked him what was so funny.

" It's not you guys. It's just that I'm thinking about my daft divination teacher, Professor Trelawney. She's so weird . Do you know that every year she predicts that someone will die, and it never happens? After hearing you guys admit that seers don't require degrees to work at Divination, I feel inclined to take her far less seriously than I did before."

" We know what you mean , Harry. We had a teacher like yours named Miss Bat. One time, the entire fourth year class came down with the flu, and she made us all a batch of five-alarm potion to help us out. She bragged that it was rich in fermented pond slime (her dear old Granny Bat's most powerful and secret ingredient for all her most potent curatives)."

" Well, did it work?" Harry asked looking interestedly at them.

"Are you serious? It did everything but work. You see she made a visit to the potion lab and decided to shop for a few supplies( if you know what I mean), failing to realize that our Potions Mistress, Miss Hardbroom planned to give her second years an exam the next day requiring them to recognize ingredients and that she took the labels off the jars. As a result, half of us grew scales and the other half sprouted feathers. I mean it was so gross. It took three whole days for Miss Hardbroom to set us right."

"Scales? My God how incompetent, and you say that she still has a job?" Harry asked in disbelief as he recalled Professor Lockhart's attempt at mending his arm.

"Well , yeah, our old headmistress Miss Cackle looked kindly upon goof-ups."

" Yeah, my headmaster Professor Dumbledore does too."

"Well, that's enough chit-chat. We'd better get off to the store and finish cleaning it to get it ready for reopening."

" Right, Gris. come on, Harry. Let's get ready."

The three ate breakfast and headed off to Diagon Alley shop. It took them half a day to get everything in order. The work was grueling but fun. In fact the three made so much noise in the process that two neighboring shop owners came over to the store to see whether they were being attacked or not.

They stopped and decided to journey over to a nearby pub to eat when they heard a newspaper boy yelling about a missing seer . Gris asked him to come over so she could get a paper. When she saw the headline , she handed to Harry and asked, "isn't this that teacher that you told us about this morning?"

"Yes. That's Professor Trelawney, but why would anybody want to kidnap her?" he asked furrowing his eyebrows in confusion."I'd better try and alert Mr. Weasley. Can we go back to Privet Drive so that I can get Hedwig, please?" he asked.

" Okay, Harry. You can apparate with me. We'll be right back, Gris," Fenny said.

In a flash they were back at Privet Drive in Mrs. Figg's back yard. Harry fetched Hedwig sat down for a bit to write Mr. Weasley a letter, sent Hedwig off ,and went back to the pub to sit with Gris. Apparition made Harry feel tickly inside his stomach the second time around, but his appetite returned when he saw the foot long sandwich Gris ordered.

" Here we are. Thanks, Gris. It looks good."

" Listen guys, while you two were gone I thought it over a bit, and I think that we should keep a stronger watch over you Harry. The kidnapper may have something to do with the guy that's trying to kill you.

" Thanks, but I don't want to take advantage of your kindness any further. I'd hate to think that I endangered your lives in any way. I've already lost someone very close to me. Plus, I already have an advanced guard who watches over me."

In a seedy section of underground London called Aberdeen Grove, a woman shivered alone in a dank apartment room in fear of her very life. She shuddered at the cold touch of a bowl that someone pressed to her swollen lip to give her water.

" We'll try this one more time," a cold , raspy voice said. "What did you see when you gazed at the prism?"

" I.......I c-c-can't remember. My vision comes and goes. I can't remember what happens when I lose myself to the astral plane," the poor woman cried shrilly, her desperate tone implor-ing her assailant for mercy.

"Crucio!!!!!!!!" the voice yelled.

The woman felt the pain and fainted. Her frail form succumbed to partial cessation.

After a few moments, her body's yielding yet peaceful slumber was disrupted when her assailant splashed her dangling form with cold water.

" Any progress, Bella?"

" No, master. I'll try harder."

" Yes, I suggest that you do that. If you succeed, I'll honor you by presenting you with your daughter."

" You know where she is?" Bella asked desperately.

" Patience, Bella. First things first. I need the seer to give me the rest of the prophecy. I realized that she knew of it the day after the battle at the Department of Mysteries. You see, a residual part of me remained with Potter; it allowed me to see part of his little 'consolation' session with that muggle-loving old coot. I conserved and sparingly used what was left of the psychic vector in Potter's mind to learn what I could from the meeting. I knew that Dumbledore would begin to break down soon and reveal all to his precious little protege. The woman is the key. Do what you must. Just make her talk."

" But master, my daughter."

" Get on with it , Bella . You try my patience."

The trio finished their meal and headed back to the shop. Upon their arrival, they heard cracking noises. It was the Weasleys and a few others. The group made their respective introductions.

" Harry, we know about the kidnapping. I didn't want to apparate to you in the middle of the alley. We want you to know that we're doing everything that we can to find Sybil. After finding out about her,we became afraid for your safety, so we've come to bring you to headquarters."

" Okay,but I need to get back to Privet Drive to get a few things from Mrs. Figg's house."

" I'll bring you this time , Harry," Gris said.

When they returned, the group hurried away with Harry while saying rushed thank you's and good-byes.

Fenella and Griselda guessed that whatever was going on, it was very serious. They looked at each other doubtfully and agreed to hope the best for Harry.


	4. A Necessary Diversion

Fenny and Gris finished preparing the store for the next day's bazarre when they saw Harry approach with Ron and a bushy-haired girl.

"What's up, girls"? Harry asked.

"Hi, Harry," they both said.

"Hi" Ron greeted.

"How are you today Ron"? Fenella asked.

"Great. This is our other friend Hermione Granger. She's the brains of the outfit," he said.

"Cool. Nice to meet you," Fenella said as tshe and Gris leaned forward to shake Hermione's hand.

"The store looks lovely, Hermione said. "Ron tells me that you're the niece of Harry's deceased neighbor Mrs. Figg,"

"Yeah. She left me the house and this store. The whole thing's been a blessing but it's also been a lot of work too," she said laughing exhaustedly.

"At least you know what you're going to do; I still haven't made up my mind what I want to do for my career," Hermione said.

"We were just headed out for lunch, would you guys like to come"? Fenny asked.

"Sure. We just need to let Ron's parents know where we'll be," Harry said.

"Fine meet us back at here when you get done," she said.

"Okay, it's a plan," Ron said.

Ten minutes passed, and they came rushing back with Ron's parents.

"Hi, Mr. And Mrs.Weasley," Fenny and Gris both said almost simultaneously.

"Hi girls. The shop looks beautiful," Mrs. Weasley said.

"Good to see ya', girls," Mr. Weasley said.

"Will you guys be joinung us"?

"No thanks. Molly and I just wanted to see what you've don with the store, and I must say that I'm greatly impressed. I'm sorry that we can't stay, but we have to be going"

"Well, thanks for the compliment. We open tomorrow. Come back, and see us when you can," Gris said.

"Yeah, we're giving out free samples," Fenny added.

"Well, okay. You kids have fun," Mrs. Wealsey said as she and Mr. Weasley waved goodbye.

"Okay, and once again, thanks," Gris said.

"Well, are you ready to go"? Fenny asked.

"Yeah," Ron said.

The gang headed over to a sandwhich pub and ate their fill.

"I'm going hate this year. I'm lousy at apparition," Ron said." Fred and George were able to do it in a much shorter time, and Professor Lupin says that all I need is practice, but I'm not buying it. I'm lousy. I'll never get my license."

Fenny and Gris looked at each other mischievously, and Griselda said," let us help you. We're good at it."

"Yeah, when we get through with you, you'll be able to do it in your sleep," Fenny added.

"Oh...I don't know about that, girls," Hermione said doubtfully.

"Yeah, he's got major problems," Harry said.

"Well thanks a lot for the vote of confidence," Ron said feeling badly.

"Aw, don't worry. You'll be an ace when we're done. In fact if you've got some time.

"We can do it now. Most of the Surrey area will be out at a parade, and we know how to hide the truth from plain sight, so nobody will be able to see y ou," Fenny said.

"Okay, but we warned you," Hermione said shrugging.

They headed back to Privet Drive and entered the back yard. Fenny raised a handkerchief and said a few words. Everybody felt a breeze lightly touch them.

"Okay, let's get started," she said." Ron, stare down at your feet for thirty seconds so you can get a good picture of them. Next, close your eyes and retain the peripheral image."

"Okay, I've got it," he answered.

"All right, now see your feet disappearing," Gris said.

"Okay," he said.

"Great. He did it. Ron, open your eyes," Hermione said happily.

"Wicked," he said.

"Okay, now look down at your shadow and mentally erase the rest of you," Fenny said.

"Very good, Ron," Gris said.

"Now what do I do"? he said with his voice sounding as if he were on the other side of a wall.

"Picture the other side of this yard, and visualize your reflection in the mirror, then fill yourself in," Fenny said.

Ron corporated on the other side of the yard, but it was in the tree above them. He whimpered when he looked down at them.

"Okay, now Ron" Gris said. "Close your eyes, and see your reflection again, and make it disappear."

"Okay," he squeaked scaredly.

"All right, now feel your feet touch the grass below you," she said.

"I'm there," he said.

"Now picture yourself getting into some water, and see each part of yourself that you immerse fill in as you fell the water on your skin," she said.

Ron reapparated, but it was in his skivvies.

Hermione struggled to suppress a snicker. Harry looked away giggling quietly.

Gris waved her hand, and his clothes came back.

"You did it, Ron," Fenella said.

"I did"?

"Yeah, you did, buddy," Harry said smiling mischievously until Hermione elbowed him.

"What's so funny, Harry"?

"Nothing. It's just that I hadn't heard you squeak like that since we went into the forbidden forest, and you saw the spiders."

"Yeah, just laugh it up. If that were you up there, then you'd know how I felt," Ron said straightening his back proudly.

"Oh, Ron, don't take it so seriously. Just look at it this way, at least you didn't leave any parts of you behind like you usually do," Hermione said.

"Yeah," Harry added.

"Well, how did it feel to you, Ron"? Fenny asked.

"It felt like I had holes in me."

"Well, you went to the tree; because, it was the first thing you recalled about the other side of the yard. Always think of the floor or the ground, and you won't go wrong."

After three more tries, Ron apparated and disapparated smoothly. In fact, he apparated so much that it began to annoy everybody.

Fenny and Gris diverted his attention by offering the gang a chance to make a potion with them. They chose their favorite selection, the 'Anti-Gunge' Potion.

Hermione's worked, Harry's exploded, and Ron's protected eveything but his hair, which got soaked in the sludge. In the spirit of playful retribution, he started a sludge fight with the girls. By the time they were all through, the house looked like a modern art tableau. Sludge was everywhere, but it didn't spoil their fun any less. Ron knew that he'd get into trouble about his hair, but it didn't matter. He hadn't had this much fun since Fred and George lived at home. For Harry and Hermione, the activity was a healthy outlet. Neither of them was as tense as they were before. Harry forgot about Voldemort and Bellatrix killing Sirius. Hermione released her fear of being a witch of age and the responsibility that came with it. Fenny and Gris felt like accomplished teachers. They had just graduated their first master apparater, Ron Weasley. It was good to think of and do nothing constructive and to laze about every once and awhile.


End file.
